Originally posted by PTulini:Originally posted by WillistheWall:Originally posted by PTulini:Originally posted by jimbagg:
I'm sticking by my earlier forecast in other threads:
The NFLPA de-certifies this week and the matter goes to the courts. The wheels of justice, including the scheduling of Judge Doty's court proceedings, grinds slowly.
Side talks, in parallel with the court proceedings, involving sensible people like Dan Rooney of the Steelers, reach an out-of-court agreement in mid-September. A new CBA is signed at that time, and court proceedings are withdrawn by the union.
Each club will get about 10 days to prepare for their first game, which will take place about October 1. Once the deal is done, both owners and players will be in a hurry to get the fan money-faucet turned on. Teams will lose the first 4 games on their schedule and 2011 will be a truncated 12-game season. There will be no pre-season games, only in-camp scrimmages. David Carr will, of necessity, start that first played game of the 2011 season, but a rookie will finish the year as the starting Niner QB.
The Niners will finish about 4-8, with all of their wins coming in November or later, as the coaching staff eventually has time to implement more than just basic plays. Niner ownership loses tons of money in 2011 with the shorter season, and uses that as a fresh excuse for additional delays on a new stadium.
Free Agency will re-semble the Oklanhoma Land Rush. As soons as the new CBA is officially signed by all parties, there will be a wild, 24 x7, flurry of FA offers. Some deals will be done quickly, but many will drag on until several games hve been played. FA signees will be reporting and being integrated into their team, deep into the season. Rosters for that first game played will include more than usual UDFA's and no-names, eager to earn a buck and showcase their wares, until clubs eventually fill their critical needs through negotiations with the more experienced, higher-priced FA's.
Roster turmoil for all clubs will be much higher than normal and still be taking place deep in December. The NFL quality-of-play will decline in 2011, especially early in the season, due to the above factors. The stamina and sanity of both NFL coaching staffs and NFL front offies, will be severely tested in this compressed-time atmosphere.
2012 will be an 18-game schedule, with roster sizes increased by 5 players or so, beyond the Game Day 45 and 53-man roster. The union will accept the 18-game schedule in exchange for more jobs. All teams will look a little different on the field in 2012, as the new, re-designed, concussion-motivated helmet technology becomes mandatory, and players more closely resemble the Jack-In-The-Box CEO!
And the under-represented, NFL retired players, who limp around and can't remember their name or how to tie their shoes, will get bupkiss in the settlement. Did you know that only 20% of our Revolutionary War fighters, who were entitled to a government pension, ever actually got a check? And many of them had to wait 20-30 years to see any money. The old-timers have been getting screwed in this country, since it became a country.
The NFLPA may choose to decertify, but I strongly with this timeline. It won't run into the 2011 season. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!
It wouldnt surprise me if there is no 2011 season. The owners are asking for the players to make huge concessions with no evidence supporting why they need it, and De Smith/Jeff Pash are now negotiating through the media which kind of torpedo'ed all the progess made up until this point.
In my opinion, the NFLPA is asking for too much. There is no way the owners will agree to a 50/50 split of revenue!
Dude, the NFL is asking for a 5 billion dollar check basically. Not even a compromise to split somewhere down the middle. The players are already getting 60/40 after the owners take 1 billion off the top, and IIRC the players responded a 50/50 split after owners take 1 billion off the top, and the owners want to take another billion off the top? So the players would only get like 50% of the 7 billion, and the owners would get the first 2 billion dollars plus 50% of the 7 billion(since 9 billion total). Why should the people who dont even put their bodies on the line get 5.5 billion and the people who are getting the crap kicked out of them every weekend and busting their bodies for the majority of the year to train only get 3.5? That's messed up dude. I know the league needs money to function, but most teams aren't even losing money right now with the way it is and they basically want to give themselves like 1.5 billion extra for no reason? That's ridiculous. And if you want the extra money you better show evidence you need it.